Recently, I had the opportunity to guest curate the Legacy Invitational Exhibition, "Ancestral Intersection," for New Hope Arts, which is located in New Hope, Pennsylvania. The exhibition focuses on how an artist's personal ancestry and connection to humanity has impacted their past and present artwork. As guest curator, it was my goal to invite artists from an array of ancestral backgrounds who are local to the tri-state area. Some artists focused on their more recent ancestral history while others focused on their roots or more universal ties to humanity. Ancestries represented within this show are Chinese, African American, Navajo, Mexican, Scottish, Irish, Jewish, Aztec, and more. 

Today's interview is with Chad Cortez Everett whose work centers on his Philly roots. Before I begin, here is his artist's statement from his website:

"Fredrick Douglass declared, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." I am a passive person. I use my emotions to produce wonderful works of art. My works are an autobiography of my life. I used religious themes and strong narratives. They document my struggles as a father, art teacher, and professional artist. My mother taught me to rely on God. I depended on God during my hardships; thus, I learned to adapt to social adversity. My negative and positive experiences have made me build resilience and persistence that are topics in my work. I use old transportation maps, family photographs, transit passes, and clothespins to articulate this rich narrative. My collages and paintings illuminate those external and internal struggles and my continuous progress—no one can tell my stories better than I."